CPDI calls for discussion on budget proposals by all stakeholders.

PESHAWAR -- Centre for Peace and Development Initiative (CPDI) on Thursday released its third annual report on the state of budget transparency in Pakistan and called for the budget proposals to be widely discussed with civic groups, government agencies and key stakeholders to address deficiencies in the budgeting process at the federal and provincial levels.

It said that the participation of citizens in the budgeting process should be given legal protection and the government institutions should be obliged to consult with the citizens during the various stages of budgeting, especially the role of the members of the assembly during budgeting and its implementation.

In this regard, the member organization of Citizen Network for Budget Accountability (CNBA) Saiban Development Organization Mardan organized a dialogue on transparent budget preparations.

The meeting was attended by male and female councilors, civil society and media. Mohammad Arif said that for the last ten years CPDI had been trying to improve the budgeting process from the district level to the federal level and to promote transparency in it.

CPDI Provincial Coordinator Shams Al Hadi and Muhammad Arif of Saiban Development Organization said, "Like last year, this year also the process has been reviewed at the federal and provincial levels."

"As a result, a report based on Budget transparency situation in Pakistan 2023 has been released," he said.

"This report consists of two parts, the first part deals with requests for information sent to various federal ministries and provincial departments in which information was...